Company of Heroes Online shutting down March 31

Folks beta testing Company of Heroes Online have less than 60 days to enjoy the WWII RTS. Relic Entertainment has informed gamers that it's closing the open beta on March 31 to "evaluate the next steps for the Company of Heroes series." The developer's initial announcement didn't clearly state whether it was scrapping the free-to-play project entirely, but it has since confirmed CoHO's demise in a forum post. "Yes. After March 31st there is no more CoHO," said a Relic Entertainment employee.

Many players are upset about the news, especially those who purchased virtual currency called CoHO Cash. The credits allowed players to buy upgrades that Relic claimed would exist throughout the game's beta and full release. Unspent CoHO Cash will not be refunded and in-game stats will be wiped when the title is axed on March 31. Naturally, players who invested in the game feel cheated and say they wouldn't have paid for upgrades if they knew development was going to be cancelled.

On the bright side, Relic is offering CoHO beta testers $25 off Company of Heroes Gold Edition, in case you're still interested in the series. The deal is currently available to the US (including unincorporated territories) and Canada, but it should be open to players worldwide in the near future. The retail version of Company of Heroes is expected to receive a significant patch that addresses multiplayer balance issues, game exploits, as well as various fixes that were created in Company of Heroes Online.